1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to shoe guards and, more particularly, to a decorative shield that is readily detachable from the shoe and completely covers the shoelaces to provide a contemporary and stylish appearance.
2. Description of the Background
Shoe guards generally are desirable to prevent shoelaces from untying. Recently, it has become increasingly popular to wear and display insignia, cartoon characters, words and phrases on various articles of clothing, particularly on shoes. At the same time, it is desirable for shoe designs, particularly sneakers, to be contemporary and stylish. To this end, several shoe guard designs previously have been proposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,682 (Malloy) proposes a shoe lace cover strap that wraps around the instep of a shoe. The ends of the strap connect on the upper portion of the shoe laces by hook and loop fasteners. The shoe lace cover strap is adapted to display an emblem.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,854 (Edens) proposes a device for preventing shoe laces from untying. The proposed device includes a band having a recess through which the shoelace is threaded. Thus, a lower portion of the band rests on the shoe underneath the laces, while an upper portion of the band folds over the laces and connects to the lower portion by hook and loop fasteners. The band also is adapted to display an ornamental design.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,861 (Pelfrey) proposes a shoelace cover that is fixed to one side of the shoe and folds over only a part of the shoelaces, attaching to the other side of the shoe by hook and loop fasteners. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,660,664 (Aleksandrowicz) and Des. 283,556 (Campbell) for prior proposals where a shoe guard is sewn to the shoe.
Although capable of preventing shoelaces from untying, the above-proposed shoelace covers do not quickly and easily detach from the shoe and do not completely cover the shoelaces thus detracting from the contemporary shoe styling that currently is popular.